Tim Hatch sticks his tongue out at vocalist Lauren Curtius during the middle of performing a song. The Lovely Bad Things played at the Flyway at Fox on a Friday night in February. The Flyway Fox is a venue located above the Fox Theater in Pomona. / photo by Jerri White

Local alternative music scene grew from backyards to local venues

by Hayley Hulinphotography by Jerri White

An inconsistent drum beat mingles with a heavy electric guitar and thumping bass, and fills the backyard of a Pomona home on a Saturday night. The local band playing gives their all to entertain an audience of high school seniors who appear more interested in getting high than listening to music. Unintelligible lyrics are sung by the lead singer who also strums his electric guitar with as much gusto and imprecision as his words. The audience, however, does not seem to mind — they are vibing with the sounds after a few hits from a shared joint.

Just a few miles away from the backyard show, a lineup of bands play a rooftop venue in downtown Pomona. From the ground, not much seems to be going on, but sounds from the gig above become clearer during the ascent up the stairs. Incoming audience members are welcomed into the venue by a drummer who wildly wails on his drum set, lead singer and guitarist who looks slyly at her audience with cool confidence, and a bassist and other guitarist who strum their instruments a little quicker whenever they make eye contact. Their sound is much clearer and consistent than that of the backyard band, but matched in passion.

Within recent years, the music scene in the area — Pomona specifically — has morphed from thriving backyard and garage punk rock shows to popular gigs at local venues. There is a distinct difference between quality of sound and audience demographic for the two kinds of shows. Popularity of the local music scene grows with teenagers into adulthood, and so does their taste in where and how they listen to live music. Not-yet-legal music lovers had to (and still do) get their fill of live bands from Pomona backyards, but as they mature into drinking-age adults, they direct their attention to laid-back bars.

Punk rock, as a music genre and subculture developed in the 70’s, has influenced current day artists and has greatly affected the attitudes of local bands. Punk is rooted in garage rock with an anti-establishment message. This attitude encourages DIY ethics like self-produced records and self-promotion, which young bands continue to do, now considered postpunk. After schisms from and diversification of punk, new genres emerged and fall under an “alternative” or “indie” umbrella. Although varying in sound, popular bands include Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, Blink-182 and Sublime. Pomona’s postpunk style is all about the attitude and aesthetic, and less about a genre bands share.

According to Justin Paul Saunders, a booking manager for dba256 Gallery Wine Bar, currently psych-rock and blues-rock dominate as favorite genres at Pomona venues, while Beach Goth and punk are favored in backyards. Famous psych-rock artists include bands like the Beatles, the Doors and Pink Floyd, and their music is said to enhance mind-altering experiences. Beach Goth is a festival organized by The Growlers at the Observatory in Santa Ana and is also considered a new genre that originated from Orange County. It has surfer beats mixed with other influences like garage rock. “Beach Goth kinda has a psychedelic mixed with a punk feel. A lot of those, you’re going to find in backyard shows because those crowds are younger,” Saunders says. “A lot of the spots that you go to — they’re bars, so 21 plus — and younger ones can’t come. A lot of the Beach Goth and punk shows you’re going to find are in backyards because that’s the only spot that’ll have them because they draw kids.”

Backyard bands

Gio Flores, 23, of Pomona, worked with two friends to put together a backyard show for a friend’s 18th birthday party in March. Flores secured The Groans, Foliage, Girl Parts, The Bunks, Joos and Jade Mood — all local bands — to play short sets throughout the night. “It’s hassling. We had a couple of bands drop out,” Flores says. “They wanted too much money.” Flores says mostly high school students attend house shows, which makes him feel uncomfortable. “Usually the kids just want to get high, but for me, it’s about bonding and making friends at shows,” he says.

At this show, and many like it, a small crowd of minors paid $3 in a dark alley to crowd the backyard of a Pomona house, listen to indie rock, drink alcohol and get high off of anything from marijuana to helium in balloons. Bands used a shovel as a makeshift mic stand and a piñata hung in the corner of the yard. As the first band did a sound check, high school kids found spots throughout the backyard and clumped together with friends. Two girls served as bartenders to the audience — they mixed Jungle Juice, which is a roughly mixed cocktail of any and every liquor, and charged $1 for beer. Near the table of alcohol was a helium tank with a boy filling balloons for anyone who wanted to inhale the gas. Unfortunately, inhaling helium displaces air in lungs the way water would, which cuts off oxygen supply. Flores says most of the people who go to house shows are kids who want to get high while they listen to live music by new and local bands.

“We want to play venues, but we started three months ago,” says Jay Anzaldo, a 26-year-old bassist for Jade Moon. “We like playing the bar scene.” Most bands prefer to play venues as opposed to house shows for multiple reasons, which include sound quality, safety and legal issues. “From a band’s perspective, it’s probably — I want to say more enjoyable — but it’s a different environment,” Saunders says. “It feels different from a backyard show. The big difference is that a venue show isn’t going to get shut down. They’re guaranteed to play, and it sounds better.”

Often times at house shows, equipment is damaged and bands have to pay for new gear after performing for little to no money. “We haven’t done a house show for a while because our sh-t would get broken all the time,” says 21-year-old Melissa Brooks, lead singer of The Aquadolls. “People would stand on our amps and we got tired of buying new stuff.” The Aquadolls is a Southern California band signed with indie label Burger Records, and they consider their sound as “psychedelic surf punk,” also known as Beach Goth. Recently, they played a small gig on the Pomona College campus that drew only fans who knew about the show through social media, Twitter specifically. The intimate setting had a buzzing energy that caused the audience to bounce, groove and form a small mosh pit. About 10 people began to mosh, and out of the group, one tripped on wires and fell, and another began to bleed after someone flailed their arm and hit his face. “(Moshing) is a liability when it comes down to it. Places don’t want that,” Saunders says. “Shows aren’t very profitable to begin with, if it’s profitable at all. So a lot of times they don’t want to add an added risk to it. It’s like, ‘Guys be glad you have this show. Enjoy it, have fun, just don’t do sh-t that’ll make a venue not want to have you.’ One injury could cost $10,000, and it’s just not worth it.”

Venue values

“Backyard shows are still a thing,” Saunders says. “A lot of the shows were going more DIY, which is why backyard shows were so big. But now it’s gotten to the point where people are going to smaller spots and bars where things are simplified. So even the shows that are at our venues, it’s almost like a house party but not quite.”

Lauren Curtius, lead vocalist and guitar for the Lovely Bad Things, performs on a Friday night at the Flyway Fox in Pomona. / photo by Jerri White

As you approach security at the front door of Flyway at Fox in downtown Pomona, you quickly flash a drivers license. The bouncer approves of your adulthood and you shuffle through the doors and begin the ascent to the roof of the building. The higher you get, the louder the drums, guitar and bass sound. The gig has already begun and you weave through groups of people, past the crowded bar, throughout the dimly lit venue before claiming a space for yourself. Once you find a place to sit or stand, you notice the cans of beer and glasses of other alcoholic beverages in the hands of everyone and suddenly you crave a beer for yourself. The bar is two rows deep of people — everyone has alcohol and music on their minds — so it takes a few minutes to get the attention of the bartender, but once you have it you are set to go. With a beer in hand, you are ready to chill and vibe with the rest of the audience.

As the first band ends their set, members from the next group emerge from within the crowd to set up their stage. During setup, audience members pass the bar and occupy Flyway’s patio for a quick smoke and catch up with friends. Others crowd the bar for their second round of drinks while the venue’s stage and sound managers run back and forth between stage and sound booth. The band begins to play and people return to each spot they previously occupied, like an unspoken agreement was made about where to stand or sit. For the rest of the night this continues and you jam to indie rock with like-minded music lovers. Flyway is one spot where the Pomona music scene thrives.

The area is home to larger venues like The Glass House and The Fox Theater Pomona, and smaller ones like dba256, The Press Restaurant and Flyway at Fox — all of which host live music from local bands. Flyway at Fox, in downtown Pomona on Garey Avenue, is a small, enclosed rooftop bar and venue for live music and other events. The space, lit blue with stage lights and strings of twinkle lights, is long with a full bar near the open-air porch and compact stage at the opposite end. Mirrors extend both sides of Flyway, which creates the illusion of a larger venue. A tin roof and open doors to the porch leaves the space chilly on a spring evening, but comfortable on a summer night. Sound for each performance is controlled on a balcony overlooking the venue, and Saunders runs back and forth between the band and the sound guy to ensure audience members hear music with the highest quality. The entire place has a relaxed and cool vibe that is inviting and makes them feel welcomed and comfortable.

Microcosm of musicians

Pomona’s local music scene is a microcosm of musicians who know each other, create “supergroups” (a separate band that consists of members of different bands), and in some cases, share equipment. “You can go to any local show in the area and there’ll be at least four or five other different bands that are just hanging out,” Saunders says. “Everybody is there supporting each other. There are no rivalries, a lot of times they share equipment. There are no egos, everyone takes turns who’s playing where, who’s playing what. Because they know that there are not many spots that offer to them anymore. It’s a small market for them now. Most of the bands you deal with are very appreciative and just very stoked to be playing.”

Sleep Club, a local band familiar to the Pomona music scene, is led by University of La Verne senior music major Dylan Peruti, who is a vocalist and lead guitarist. He wanted to start a band his freshman year when he took a music theory class and began to write his own music. Currently, Sleep Club is in transition with band members, but in the past they have played shows in Pomona, Claremont and Echo Park. “Pomona is like home, but I like playing in Echo Park too,” Peruti says. “To break into LA, you have to start in Echo Park, but in Pomona, you gain a local following. If I go to a gig (in Pomona), there are always familiar faces and it’s always casual. There’s not a whole lot of pressure.” Echo Park, according to Peruti, is the place for small bands to break through into the Los Angeles music scene.

In Pomona, there is only so much room to grow before a band plateaus with their fanbase compared to Echo Park, where there are more opportunities for a band to be heard and grow. Peruti avoids genres because, if Sleep Club identifies with one, they are put into a box. The band considers their sound “heart rock,” which Peruti made up, and does not fall within one particular genre, because they put their heart into the compositions and overall message.

The music scene in Pomona, while constantly evolving, has stayed strong and tight knit. There are distinct differences, however, between venue shows and house shows — the most apparent being an age difference. Along with youth comes increased rowdiness and substance abuse. While both have a strong audience following, there is an obvious feeling of having upgraded when seeing a band play live in a venue as opposed to a house. Every band starts somewhere, and local musicians rarely forget their roots in the backyards of Pomona.

Band members Lauren Curtius, Brayden Ward, Camron Ward and Tim Hatch formed the Lovely Bad Things in 2009. All members are multi-instrumentalists in their 20s. Bassist Wesley Baxter is the newest band member. / photo by Jerri White

Roberto Catalano displays his passion for music

Tools, reeds and gourds used to make musical instruments fill Roberto Catalano’s garage. The raw materials soon become instruments, like the flute he plays to demonstrate its unique mellow sound. / photo by Megan Peralez

by Melissa Gasiaphotography by Megan Peralez

One look inside University of La Verne music professor Roberto Catalano’s house reveals he is a music connoisseur. His house is filled with musical instruments—some rare—of all types and from throughout the world. An autoharp and a case full of flutes are under the bed. In every corner of his room are propped up string instruments. Inside his closet, hidden under his hanging clothes, are his electric and acoustic guitars. A prized guitar is on display by a window. “A bunch are in the bedroom, a bunch are in his study room and still others are in the garage,” says daughter Olivia Catalano. “In every room, almost, we have some sort of instrument in there.” Professional musicians have several instruments, but Roberto is a true artist aficionado, owning more than 200 collected instruments worth about $20,000.

Music was always part of his life

Roberto says music has been with him all his life. He recalls growing up in Catania, Sicily, listening to classical records. “I imagined I had the whole orchestra in front of me when I was little,” Roberto says. “I grew up conducting symphonies with my pencil, looking up at the wall.” He listened to melodic orchestral arrangements, love songs and folk music then gradually moved into the rock and roll world with its more aggressive rhythm. The Beatles and The Shouters were coming into their own, and they shaped his musical interest. Roberto eventually transformed from a fascinated child to a music scholar, music instructor, composer and a multi-instrumentalist. He is an active musician on the world stage. Besides the United States, he has performed as a guitarist in Rome, London and Vancouver. He has played with guitarist John Scofield.

Roberto is an alumnus of the University of La Verne Music Department. He returned to teach at La Verne, and for the past 14 years as an adjunct professor he has taught World Music, Latin American Music and the History of Rock Music.

Roberto says he never considered becoming a musician until he acquired his first guitar, which started his career as a self-taught artist. As a child, he remembers asking his parents to buy him a trumpet or saxophone. He says his parents thought it was a silly phase he would eventually outgrow. At 18, he went to a party and saw a guitar propped up in a living room corner. He picked it up and held it. Everyone else in the room disappeared. He plucked the guitar, sealing the deal on his future. His love at first glance passion is now explained analytically. “Musical instruments for me are a beautiful thing to have and to look at, let alone to play.”

Roberto’s first guitar

There was no turning back. As only a young boy can do, he pleaded with his parents to buy him his first guitar. It was a small instrument, covered with fiber glass. Its neck was bolted to its thin body with three screws. “It was the cheapest, crappiest thing, but to me, it was everything,” says Roberto. “I still have it. I love it, but it’s unplayable now.” He took it everywhere. It became part of who he was. He taught himself how to play it. “I locked myself in the room and didn’t come out.” For hours, he would strum its strings in his barricaded room. His mother would yell at him through the door when it was time for dinner.

That guitar started his collection. Proving his musical passion, Roberto persuaded his parents to give in. Percussion instruments—tambourines, triangles and bongos—became part of his growing orchestra. “Musical instruments attract me because of the shape, the materials, and the ideas that are inside the instrument itself, which is the ideas of the people who actually make them.”

As his collection expanded, so did his musicianship. Roberto can play all of the instruments he owns—guitars, mandolins, Arabic lutes, clarinets, flutes, tambourines, simple bows, triangles, bongos, humanatone nose flutes, jaw harps, mandocellos, bouzoukis, harps, friction drums, benas. “I got to learn many at a young age and feed my curiosity through all the examples that were around our house,”oldest daughter Giulia Catalano says laughing. His collection inspired his daughter, and she now plays the piano.

Roberto says he has sold some of his instruments at desperate economic times, but others are sacred. His rarest instrument is his one-string bow. This traditional Italian folk instrument was handmade for Roberto by music instructor friend Michele Loi. Roberto is 5’8’’ tall, and the one-string bow is almost as tall as he is. It has a dried pig bladder at the base, which serves as a resonator. The instrument can be either plucked or bowed.

Roberto Catalano has spent countless hours at his garage workbench constructing unique instruments. He claims that the reeds used in the body of his flutes sound “sweeter and mellower” than those heard in concerts. And the bamboo reeds inserted into his gourds make great sounding wind instruments. The bamboo reeds are hung on the wall and picked out carefully to produce his desired sounds. His finished musical instruments are found in almost every room of his house. They are stored in boxes, chests, shelves, and even doll dressers acquired from his daughters. / photo by Megan Peralez

Collector’s workshop

Roberto also enjoys building instruments. He has made about 40 instruments in his garage—mostly wooden flutes and reed clarinets—using simple tools such as blades, tape, glue, screwdrivers and a wood burner. He uses reed as his main material and selects the raw material from a riverbed in Eaton Canyon, close to where he lives. He says his hands have been poked, scratched, cut and burned several times during the creation process.

He describes his flutes’ sound as “sweeter and mellower” than concert flutes because the materials he uses are organic and not metal. His clarinets have a “reedy” sound that he loves. They can be very loud and mimic the sound of bagpipes, which brings back his home memories of shepherds and traditional folk music.

A few of Roberto’s instruments were made by close friend Enzo Fina who uses unique resources. Enzo made a guitar with a tupperwear container as its body, connected to a wood neck. He also constructed a harp using a water bottle as its resonator, with beads as its fine tuners that slide down the strings to adjust the sound.

Many of Roberto’s other instruments come from throughout the world: Italy, Paris, Greece, Africa, among other far away places. Some are gifts; others are from his adventures. Roberto and his friends once sailed 250 miles from Italy to the northern Greek Island of Andros. During a restaurant dinner, he spotted a displayed bouzouki. The instrument seemed to call him, and he walked over to it. It was a well preserved old instrument; albeit, its neck was a little bent, making the instrument hard to play. Roberto had no idea how to play a bouzouki but was keenly attracted by its shape. The instrument was meant for display, but Roberto wanted to own it and ultimately learn to play it. He convinced the owner to sell it to him and is sure he paid an inflated price, but he says it was worth it. Bringing it back to Italy was a challenge. On the boat, he put the instrument in a protective net that swung freely with the breeze. Unfortunately, the wind was heavy, and the bouzouki kept clobbering his friends. It was the only way to transport it without gaining more damage, so he says the whole group had to bear with the situation.

Roberto also surfs the internet for instruments. He did not consider buying a new guitar until he saw the photograph of a $500 instrument he knew he had to have. He had $250 dollars, borrowed $250 from his friend, then drove to Santa Clarita to pick up the guitar.

He recounts that as a Ph.D. candidate majoring in ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, he bought three guitars in one year. One of them was more than $1,000 but is worth $5,000 today. The money came from a trust fund set up by his father. After the purchase, he had to cutback on spending to make it through college.

“There’s something about instrumental music that particularly strikes my attention,” says Roberto. “If I had enough money, I would buy anything and everything I get my hands on.”

Roberto Catalano’s musical instrument collection totals more than 200 wind and string instruments that represent a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. Many of these instruments were given as gifts or bought at the Folk Music Center in Claremont. His collection includes a one string bow made with a pig’s bladder, which he holds in his right hand. Michele Loi, his former instructor, created this instrument and gave it as a gift. / photo by Megan Peralez

Michael Ryan: International man of music

Professor and performer Michael Ryan has spent his life immersed in music, dedicating most of his time to playing classical guitar. He plays in venues around the La Verne area during the school year and then travels to Europe in the summer to entertain crowds. / photo by Amanda Nieto

by Ingrid Rodriguezphotography by Amanda Nieto

The lights come up and the audience is on their feet clapping and cheering. The 12 artists take one synchronized bow. The band, Michael Ryan and Friends, has finished yet another outstanding performance.

Musician Michael Ryan is a professor who teaches guitar at the University of La Verne and performs worldwide. He estimates that he plays for more than 70,000 people each year at concerts, restaurants and dinner theaters, often with his band, Michael Ryan and Friends. On this night he has completed his annual Irish concert “The Spirit of Ireland.” It was a full house at ULV where he and his band played 22 songs. “When the concert’s really good, the time just goes by,” Michael says, explaining that Irish music channels a range of emotions like joy, sorrow, love and loss. Some songs are rich poetry, others are fun and playful. “I feel honored to be able to produce and perform an Irish show and spread the passion and enthusiasm of the music,” Michael says. When Michael performs, he says he becomes submerged in the music and loses himself in the rhythm. “I let the music express itself through me, being like a channel for the music to come through and connect with the audience,” he says.

Michael’s love for guitar began when he was 15. He was visiting a friend whose father played classical guitar. His friend’s father suggested that Michael listen to Andrés Segovia, a famous classical Spanish guitar player. When Michael heard Segovia, he became fascinated by the myriad of sounds Segovia made with his guitar. “It was like a little orchestra,” Michael recalls, explaining that it sounded like Segovia was playing two melodies at once. This sparked Michael’s interest in the instrument, and he set off to discover it for himself.

Musical studies

After taking private guitar lessons during his high school years, Michael studied classical music at the University of La Verne, earning his bachelor’s degree in music in 1975. He first performed during his senior recital, where an auditorium filled with people came to hear him play solo classical guitar. “It was a real neat experience,” Michael says. “I felt like everything I played people were just absorbing.”

Throughout college, Michael also sang in ULV’s choir and chamber singers. He liked singing so much, he decided to study vocal performance at California State University, Chico, earning a master’s degree in 1979. Michael was then invited to study opera in Austria, though he declined, choosing instead to go back to his first love, guitar. “If you’re going to sing opera and make it your living, then you better love it, live and breathe it, and I didn’t feel I wanted to go that path,” he said.

But he did want to go abroad. With his guitar in hand, he played small venues in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. Michael says the locals would tell him where to play, and some even invited him to play with their groups. After four months, he returned to the U.S., settled back in California, and played gigs in beach towns for the next two years. Then in 1981, he got a call from Reed Gratz, a professor of music at ULV. Gratz invited Michael to teach guitar back at his alma mater. Michael accepted and says he was honored to get the opportunity to return to ULV to teach. He has remained a fixture in the music department over the past 33 years. Michael says music classes at ULV are smaller and more personal than they are at most universities. This allows him to give students more individual attention, as he shares his love of music.

Inspiring others

The students in Guitar Workshop sit on the stage in Morgan Auditorium. Their chairs are set up in a circle so the students can see and hear one another. Michael goes around to each student to make sure they have learned their pickings and have placed their fingers on the correct strings. Once everyone is ready, he counts them down, and they play the song together. It is out of sync in moments, but this group of beginners is focused on finding a uniform sound. “I haven’t met anyone in his class who doesn’t want to get better,” Zak Tomlinson, a freshman business administration major in the class later says. Michael is inspired by that drive. Many students who take his classes are not music majors but want to play the guitar as a hobby, or as a means of expression. Michael says he often runs into those same students years later and finds out they are still playing guitar.

The great unifier

It has been more than three decades since a young Michael Ryan packed up his guitar and embarked on a European adventure. But that post-graduate journey whet his appetite for future trips. Each summer, when classes have en­­­­ded and ULV’s music rooms fall silent, he returns to Europe to play guitar in a medieval German fair. The Peter und Paul Fest has been in existence for more than 500 years and always takes place during the first week in July. For the past 10 summers, Michael and his friend Ken Soderlund have performed together at the festival, playing traditional renaissance music to crowds of concertgoers.

When the festival ends, Michael and Soderlund stay in Europe and perform at various concerts. They donate the money they earn to charities close to their hearts, though far from home. In the past, their fundraising has helped a Brazilian daycare, a German music school and a hospital in Africa. Michael believes music is a common denominator that connects people around the world. That belief is proven each summer as two American friends entertain European crowds to raise money for people on other continents.

Forty-five years after picking up his first guitar, Michael has reached many people with it. He has recorded eight albums, taught hundreds of students, and taken countless bows on stages around the world. That mysterious myriad of sounds, which first captured his imagination at 15, is still his greatest passion, and he hopes it will continue to unite the people who hear it. “Different cultures and different people who might have tension with each other can get along with music,” he says. “It cuts the barriers.”

Music professor Michael Ryan plays along with his students to Paul McCartney’s “Let it Be.” The group’s music resonated throughout Morgan Auditorium. / photo by Amanda Nieto

An old sound captivates a new generation

The most recognized barbershop group on campus is the Lordsburg Brothers. The group participates in notable barbershop competitions and has sparked other barbershop groups at La Verne. Here, the members, Ernie Reyes, Timothy May, Zachary Green and David Vorobyov harmonize during a practice session. / photo by Veronica Orozco

by Mariela Patronphotography by Veronica Orozco

A harmonious sound travels through the doors and walls of the Oaks Residence Hall. Zachary Green and David Vorobyov are singing a phrase from “When She Loved Me” from “Toy Story 2.” They pace around each other, humming, listening to their voices, searching for their individual parts. Once they find their pitch, they are ready to try the phrase again. They stand still like mechanical men and wait for their cue to perform, as baritone Ernie Reyes brings a harmonica to his mouth and plays a single note. Green and Vorobyov take a quick breath and begin singing,“So the years went by, I stayed the same,” as they glance at director Carol Stephenson for critique. After numerous tries, Carol decides it is time to build up the sound. She adds tenor Timothy May and Reyes and all together they sing the sorrowful bridge “So the years went by, I stayed the same. I was left alone, still I waited for the day when she said ‘I will always love you.’” Carol reminds them to stop pronouncing the “s” in “always.” They try the bridge one more time. Once they reach the end of the problematic word, one singer pronounces the “s.” The men in the quartet instantly smile and look at each other, waiting for the culprit to turn himself in and admit denying them of a perfect performance.

The Lordsburg Brothers, University of La Verne’s barbershop quartet, brings life to an otherwise vacant, cold study room in the residence hall every Thursday night as they practice for competitions and concerts. Created by Carol in late 2012, the Lordsburg Brothers, previously known as the Leo Singing Dudes, were the inception of the barbershop madness that has swept the music department. Since the Lordsburg Brothers’ first performance in October 2012, Carol created a women’s barbershop quartet, called The A-Team, as well as a men’s barbershop chorus called 3rd St. Sound, and a new women’s barbershop chorus, which remains unnamed.

This is not the first time ULV students have embraced the barbershop sound. The University, previously known as Lordsburg College, had multiple quartets in the early 1900s through the late 1940s. The great quartets of the time attracted many singers to the University for a chance to sing in one of the groups. Barbershop was later revived for a short time in 2005 with the La Verne Quartet, made up of four upperclassmen.

Carol, like many of her students, became mesmerized by the art form immediately after she attended a barbershop show six years ago. “I just fell in love with the sound and how excited people were at singing in barbershop harmony,” Carol says.

Creating a passion

Both barbershop choruses are now classes at ULV, but the two quartets remain extracurricular activities. Carol picked every member of the Lordsburg Brothers and The A-Team to be the first members of the La Verne barbershop movement. “I had a couple of students who I had recruited into the University who I knew would be excited to sing, and I wanted to give them something exciting to do,” Carol says. Even though most recruits did not have any background in barbershop singing, they believed in Carol’s passion.

“I had no idea what barbershop was,” Vorobyov says. “I felt kind of proud that she handpicked me. So I was like ‘Yeah, I’m going to jump on this.’” Carol introduced them to barbershop singing by taking them to meet some of the best barbershop groups in the area. One of them was Masters of Harmony, a barbershop chorus from Santa Clarita, made up of men ranging from 20 to 85 years of age. The Lordsburg Brothers say the experience was life-changing. “It’s an interesting thing being in the middle of a section of that chorus and hearing just a wall of sound around you,” Reyes says. “I just left that night with a giant smile that hasn’t left since.”

When creating The A-Team, Carol had two challenges. First she had to introduce the women to the world of barbershop. She also had to show the women that barbershop is not exclusively for men. “I had no idea what it was, to be honest,” member Melissa Molinaro says. “I knew that Disneyland had four people that sing (The Dapper Dans), but I didn’t know there was a female group and that I could be a part of it.” Mona Lufti fell in love with the genre the first time she heard a women’s quartet’s interpretation of “You Are My Sunshine.” “It was the simplest song, but oh my God, it was so beautiful,” Lufti says.

Since then, The A-Team has served as an inspiration for more than 20 women at ULV to join the barbershop women’s chorus. Sonora Hernandez, a member of The A-Team, says barbershop gives women with different voice ranges an opportunity to sing. “Sometimes when it comes to pop music, or when it comes to R&B, you have to sing high, and you have to sing riffs,” Hernandez says. “But when it comes to barbershop, having a low register voice is very rare for women, so it’s awesome when a woman can sing lower notes.”

Others seized the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream. Timothy May and Amanda Timko were introduced to this genre of singing as children by watching the musical, “The Music Man,” which features a barbershop quartet. May’s fondest memory of barbershop was in fourth grade during a live school performance of the musical where his father sang a part in “Good Night, Ladies.” May says, “I was like, ‘I like that sound’ and ‘how do I make it?’”

Worldwide movement

Barbershop at La Verne is part of a nationwide movement made up of young singers committed to preserve this old art form. Barbershop singing became popular in the early 1900s when men would improvise songs while waiting their turn for the barbershop chair. In 1938, the Barbershop Harmony Society formed to help preserve the art form that was quickly diminishing in the 1930s. The Barbershop Harmony Society currently has 25,000 members in the United States and Canada. The smaller Sweet Adelines International, which represents female barbershop groups, currently has more than 500 choruses and 1,200 quartets worldwide. In the last five years both societies have seen a steady increase in youth membership while the membership numbers among older participants have declined. Brian Lynch, public relations officer for the Barbershop Harmony Society says the society garnered 609 new members last year in the 19-year-old category alone—the largest number ever to join in one year’s time.

Carol is not surprised by this sudden revival of a cappella music in pop culture, citing the film “Pitch Perfect” and the TV competition show “The Sing Off,” which have introduced more young people to the sound. “I think (young people) have fun figuring out what kind of crazy noises they can make without using instruments,” Carol says. “I think the real joy of singing a cappella music is that you can do it anywhere. You don’t have to have a piano, you don’t have to have a sound system to plug your guitar into the amp.”

Kay Cannon, writer of “Pitch Perfect,” says the movie has had a positive effect on the genre and has encouraged college students to try it. “It gives (a cappella) permission to be cool,” Cannon says. “They are not in their heads that they shouldn’t be doing that. At the end of the day, music is just a wonderful equalizer.” Cannon credits barbershop as the foundation for present day a cappella. “Barbershop would be considered old school a cappella,” she says. “Modern a cappella is making instrument sounds with your mouth.”

The Lordsburg Brothers agree there is an a cappella trend happening, and Green says “Pitch Perfect” is an example of it. Some say the relevancy of barbershop can be attributed to the passion of its members. “The community that does barbershop is very, very strong and very passionate, but otherwise people will forget it exists,” Green says. In addition to the people, Vorobyov says barbershop music alone is enough to pull any type of person in. “It’s the feeling you get inside when you’re on a roller coaster and you’re about to go down,” Vorobyov says. “Something physiologically happens when you hear a ringing chord. Once you capture somebody, introduce them to it, and they feel that—it becomes an obsession.”

Younger barbershop groups are trying to attract their generation into the genre by adapting pop songs, such as Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” into barbershop style. Carol and her singers agree that every barbershop singer should still continue to learn certain traditional barbershop songs, also known as polecaps. “I still think it is really important to teach them those old songs because they can sing with an 85-year-old man and they can sing with a 12-year-old kid,” Carol says. May recalls joining in song with a group in a hotel lobby at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Midwinter Youth Chorus Festival this year in Long Beach. “Singing with random people really gives you a connection,” May says.

This January, the University of La Verne welcomed the Swedish quartet the Ringmasters, who are 2012 International Quartet Champions, as well as Dolce, Sweet Adelines’ 2012 Region 21 champions. In addition to performing in Morgan Auditorium, the Ringmasters held workshops for singers to perfect their art. The workshops included such topics as how to better lock in sound and how to improve body movement while performing. Lufti learned that in barbershop singing, every member of the group is important. “We’re also soloists, so my part matters just as much as the lead,” she says. “That’s helped our sound a lot, with each of us being more confident in our own parts.” The Ringmasters’ performance and their clinics left the university singers more inspired than ever before. “They make the art form seem like it’s just second nature,” Vorobyov says. “They love it, it’s become a part of them, and that’s what is inspirational.” Green first saw the Ringmasters live almost two years ago, and the quartet always leaves him wanting more. “They have always been my favorite quartet,” Green says. “I had to pee during their clinic, and I was so upset that I had to be out of the room for two minutes.”

Looking to the future

The La Verne barbershop sound has already left its mark on the competition stage. Last October, The A-Team won the Region 11 Young Women in Harmony Contest in Bakersfield. They are waiting to compete in the International Rising Star Young Women in Harmony contest in Massachusetts this summer. The Lordsburg Brothers recently competed in the Far Western District Spring Convention and improved their scores from last year by 10 percent. Although competitions exist, Carol says barbershop is not done for awards, but for the joy of music. Singers tirelessly rehearse to reach the high they felt when they first heard that perfect ringing sound at the end of a chord. At rehearsals, everything is scrutinized: pitch, pronunciation and vowels. “By having everybody singing the exact same vowel, you light things up, and you hear just (the ring) pop out above as the fifth voice,” Reyes says. Barbershop singing has become a lifelong commitment for many of these singers, even those who did not know what it was two years ago.

When Reyes thinks about the future, he sees himself as a 65-year-old man singing in Masters of Harmony. “I’m kind of stuck forever. I don’t think (barbershop) is leaving me, ever,” he says. The Lordsburg Brothers not only have a strong commitment to each other, but to the music. “Even if for some strange crazy reason I’m still not in quartet when I graduate, there will always be that part of me that will just love barbershop,” May says, then skipping forward several decades. “I would try to create a quartet with 80-year-old me singing tenor in ‘When She Loved Me.’”­

Here, members of ULV’s female barbershop quartet The A-Team practice a song. The members include Melissa Molinaro, Mona Lufti, Sonora Hernandez and Amanda Timko. ULV also has a male barbershop chorus called 3rd St. Sound, an unnamed female barbershop chorus and a male quartet called the Lordsburg Brothers. / photo by Veronica Orozco

Carol Stephenson (right) is the force behind La Verne’s barbershop community. She serves as an essential mentor to all the singers by working with them individually. / photo by Veronica Orozco

Meeghan Henry’s rise to stardom

Pop singer Meeghan Henry stands in front of Founders Hall, where she takes classes as a political science major. Meeghan is considering law school, depending on how her music career progresses in the future. / photo by Alison Rodriguez

by Ruby Emeryphotography by Alison Rodriguez

Smoke floats over the audience. Bright lights hit the stage. She grabs the microphone as lyrics race through her mind. “Here we go,” she whispers to herself as she glides to center stage. Many would succumb to nerves in this packed house, however the spotlight feels like home to Meeghan Henry. She is at a live performance in Hollywood alongside her pop group, Girl Radical. Tomorrow at 7 a.m. she will be in class.

Meeghan is what some would call a modern day “Hannah Montana”—a political science student by day, a pop singer by night. Meeghan is not yet 20, but she has already accomplished an unfathomable amount. She models and acts professionally and was crowned Miss Teen Asia USA in 2011. She has appeared in countless commercials for companies like McDonald’s, Blockbuster, Home Depot, Disneyland and Nike. These days, she has submerged herself in the music industry, working alongside JC Chasez, the former ‘N Sync member who created Girl Radical. She also recently appeared in a popular Target commercial with Justin Timberlake. Prepping for rehearsals, photo shoots and red carpet walks have become a part of her life.

You will find her name at the top of the Dean’s List. She is a member of two prestigious honor societies on campus, and she will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in 2015, two years earlier than students her age. She is also considering law school depending on Girl Radical’s success. Meeghan says she truly knows what it means to have the best of both worlds.

A star is born

The dream began when Meeghan moved from Indonesia to America with her mother when she was 4 years old. Growing up in San Dimas, young Meeghan was always bopping along to boy-band ballads and mimicking riffs from her idols Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. It was not long before her mother started her in child modeling, acting, singing and dancing. As she grew up, rehearsals became more rigorous, and the auditions were more frequent. Her talent blossomed. She was enrolled in both a performing arts middle school and high school, where she focused on singing and developed her solo career. Over the years, she has used social media as a platform to expand her fan base. She has nearly 200,000 followers on Twitter and an even bigger audience on YouTube. “I have two music videos that have reached over 1 million hits, and many of those views were all within the first week of posting them,” she says. “I never expected they’d get such a great response so fast.”

Girl Radical

Meeghan’s success with solo singles led to bigger projects, including Girl Radical. “It’s an 11-girl group,” she says. “We were created by JC Chasez from ‘N Sync and Jimmy Harry who is a Golden Globe award-winning producer and songwriter,” she says. “They were looking for girls 18 and older, but I was only 17 when I joined. I was the youngest. I am the youngest. I am baby radical,” she says with a giggle. The road to getting into Girl Radical was arduous. After nine months of auditions and callbacks, she officially landed a spot in the group. “Meegs had a presence from the moment she walked in the room that was captivating,” says Chasez. “On top of that, she was well prepared and professional.

The project we are working on takes an incredible amount of organization so when you look at her talent package and combine it with her work ethic and professionalism, I was excited to work with her.” Jimmy Harry, who has written with artists such as Madonna, P!nk and Kelly Clarkson, is also a fan of “baby radical.” “Meeghan is so talented, driven, and poised, and she is such ­­a lovely person. She never goes halfway with anything. She gives everything she does 100 percent, which is rare and amazing.”

Meeghan says Chasez and Harry are deeply involved in Girl Radical’s day-to-day work. “JC and Jimmy are always there, and it’s cool because they’re so talented, but also so humble. They go to dance rehearsals and are always in the studio when we record our songs,” she says. “JC will give us tips on how to record, on how to get to the low notes, how to get to the high notes, how to breathe right. Jimmy will have us practice until we get it right.” Having 11 girls in one confined practice space can be chaotic and chatty, but Chasez and Harry like to keep a balance of playfulness and persistence during recording sessions.

A tragic loss

The ‘N Sync member and Golden Globe producer have contributed a great deal to Meeghan’s success, but she says most of the credit is due to her mother, Christina Endang Pratiknjo, who put in endless hours of work to propel Meeghan’s entertainment goals over the years. In a tragic turn of events, Pratiknjo died suddenly from a rare form of cancer in 2013. “Meeghan’s mother was her No. 1 champion,” says her stepfather, Doug Burton. “Her mother was actively working to be her manager … so she played a very active role in her career. So far we haven’t had really good luck filling that void.” Meeghan uses the fond memories to work even harder and describes her mother as an inspiring role model. “My mom moved here on her own, learned the language on her own, graduated from USC on her own, and got a job on her own … I would feel lucky just to be half the woman that she is. She’s worked so hard for me, so I owe it to her to do the same,” she says.

Burton says Meeghan is doing her best to keep moving forward. “In Meeghan’s case, she’s working extra hard because she doesn’t have a parent in the industry, and she’s somewhat of a minority role. Asian actors and actresses are not a huge part of the business which is an interesting dynamic to explore, but regardless, artists trying to break through are going to spend a lot of hours trying to open doors and preparing to jump at opportunities at any given moment,” he says.

Beyond the fame

The music industry is a notoriously difficult one to crack, and Meeghan understands the odds. “This industry is 99 percent rejection. I’ve gone on so many auditions, and there’s only a handful that I’ve actually got … it affected me more when I was younger, but now it’s like I walk in a room, and my attitude is like ‘this is what I am offering and if you don’t like it, then I’m moving on,’” Meeghan says. She has had to learn how to take the rejection in stride. “Obviously you need a tough skin to be in this business. There is a lot of rejection, but there are a lot of opportunities. You just have to find the right one that fits you.”

The smallest thing can prevent a person from catching their big break. Meeghan explains one example. “I auditioned for a role in the movie ‘Bridesmaids.’ You know the scene where the teenage girl goes into the jewelry store and argues with Kristen Wiig? They called me back three or four times, and it came down to this blonde girl and myself. She ended up getting the part because the casting directors thought I was too tall next to Kristen.”

In the past, Meeghan has been frustrated by the industry’s need to stick to stereotypes. “They shape you into what they want you to be instead of who you really are. That sucks because you signed up to be a singer and perform your music and write your own songs and express yourself. That’s why you become an entertainer.”

The nitpicking and criticism from industry professionals is one reason Meeghan stays consistent with school. “It is important for me to have a backup plan just in case things don’t work out. Knock on wood … I like to have a plan and make sure that I have a future set for me no matter what it may hold,” she says. After graduating from ULV in 2015, she has her sights set on graduate or law school. She says she chose to major in political science because it requires a lot of writing and critical thinking. “It challenges me. I honestly don’t think I’ll get straight A’s this semester, but I’m OK with that because I’m opening my mind to new ways of thinking, different philosophies and fascinating theories.” She hopes to eventually intertwine her political science background with the music industry by going into entertainment law.

Although political science is a rare choice for individuals striving to make it in the entertainment world, her professor Jason Neidleman explains that the University of La Verne will prepare her for whichever career path she chooses. “When you get a liberal arts education you acquire skills that will be useful across the field, so the particular subject is less important than the skills. I tell my students, if you want to go into entertainment, you will do well in entertainment. If you go into business, you’re going to do well in business because we’re acquiring­­­ skills that translate.” Neidleman says he had no idea Meeghan was a performer. Neidleman, who has taught at ULV for more than 12 years, describes her as ”very diligent, very serious and very bright. You know, a good student.”

Social life

Meeghan says she tries to mask her musical side at school, but her friend Siri Tjorhon says she often hears her singing. “As I’ve gotten to know her I see that she’s super down to earth, super silly, super funny. She’s kind of a little dork sometimes, so you wouldn’t know that she’s in a pop group other than her constant singing. I don’t think she lets her talent get to her head at all.”

Meeghan is a teenage pop star who keeps climbing up the ladder to success despite life’s twists, turns, and attempts to knock her down. She attributes her success to persistence. “Just never give up,” she says. “It’s so cliché, but so true. You know the biggest mistake people make is giving up right before they hit the gold mine. You’ve just got to keep going. That’s what I do. That’s all I know. I dream big. I practice. It’s not all about luck. We all need to remember that luck comes with hard work.”

Student Meeghan Henry rehearses for an upcoming show with fellow members of the all-female pop group Girl Radical, managed by former ‘N Sync member JC Chasez. The group is made up of 11 members. Also pictured here are Aniyah Williams, Darina Littleton and Kota Wade. / photo by Alison Rodriguez

La Verne’s Mike Bennett drums his way to big time gigs

Ear drums pulsate as Mike Bennett, international percussionist and co-owner of Music Evolutions, passionately plays a private set in the intimate setting of his Sherman Oaks studio. / photo by Christopher Guzman

by Christopher Barnes-Baxterphotography by Christopher Guzman

Lights are blazing, the music is blasting. The crowd is rocking, and everyone is screaming your name. This may seem like another average teenage dream, but in actuality, it is Mike Bennett’s everyday reality. His appearance—black finger nail polish, lip piercing, long hair—screams punk-rocker on the surface, but that is a false mask to just how international and humble this guy is. From flamenco to pop rock, Mike has created a name for himself through his music versatility and his mastering of not only the drums, guitar and synthesizer but also percussion instruments from around the world. He has booked gigs since he was 16 in multiple venues and even staged a southland tour. Coming from a family involved in law enforcement, his musical interest was separate from the family business. “This is not something that came second nature to me; I practiced my ass off,” Mike says. At first, music was just a fun obsession. “It took me to the end of college to realize that I actually wanted to buckle down and do music,” he says.

Not too cool for school

All that practice paid off. During his first college year, a Cal State Fullerton music professor referred his name to a big band musician, which led to Mike being invited to go on tour with Maynard Ferguson, a well-known Canadian jazz musician. But Mike did not go. He was 19, and while he understood that this was a rare opportunity, he also realized that it takes more than just experience to gain longevity within the music industry. He needed to educate himself and gain more practice within the Los Angeles market. “I knew that if I left school then, I would never come back.” He began using the college campus as a place to not only establish networks, but as a musical resource as well. Despite being a La Verne native and attending elementary, Romona Middle School and Bonita High School, the University of La Verne was not his first college choice. Among his choices were Boston University, California State University, Fullerton and the University of California, Berkeley. And while Mike ultimately ended up studying at Fullerton for his first two years, he then decided to enroll in the music program at the University of La Verne. During his time at ULV, Mike not only used the available facilities to practice his art, but he also was able to perform at least twice a semester with the help and guidance of Reed Gratz, professor of music. Mike says Reed not only provided him a strong music foundation, but he also was able to work with him to fine tune his craft and to open up many performance opportunities. As the old saying goes, “It is not always about what you know; it is about who you know” and, according to Mike, a person’s networking skills can make or break a musician. “Every student should know Reed Gratz. He is such a great resource and a knowledgeable man,” Mike says.

“As a student, Mike was definitely one of our stars here at the University. He was and is very driven, and, nowadays, that’s the only way a musician can make it in the world,” says Reed. “With his determination, he was bound to do something important. I had never seen a student like him; he was not out in the clubs every night partying, he was working.” Reed thinks highly of Mike, not only for his ability to play so well, but for his humility and humble personality. Reed says he never took on an arrogant attitude when interacting with his peers. “I really admire the fact that he always wanted to learn; he always approached people in a humble manner.”

Tricks of the trade

It was not Mike’s pure talent that made him successful within the industry; it was his determination and proactiveness that launched his career. “I do not sit by my phone and wait for it to ring; I am not the waiting type,” says Mike. This aggressive demeanor propelled him to be the lead drummer of Hilary Duff’s band. Day in and day out, he would go on Google to search for information about drummers leaving bands. Then he gained a helpful tip from a friend that a drumming position was open for Hilary Duff. He sourced the location and made his presence known to all the big names while at the audition. Mike did what he does best—played his heart out and walked away with the job. Now that her tour has ended, Mike says his experience playing with Duff was one unlike any other. He was able to travel the world and go to places that he never imagined. As he explains, there was a sense of community within the band; they were not just band members, they were a family.

Most musicians do not realize the plethora of jobs that are out there for artists; they usually pass up the gigs that have low pay or are at low-key venues; nevertheless, sometimes those gigs will lead to promising future ones. “This industry is all about networking, even if it comes down to taking the crappy jobs just to get the exposure,” says Mike. “The people that you least expect will get you a job.” Those unexpected contacts have led Mike to playing with big names such as Richie Kotzen, Marie Digby, Hilary Duff, Jamie Foxx, Mary Mary, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and more. Saying “yes” more than he says “no” when booking potential gigs is coupled with Mike’s other performance philosophy that musicians must treat every gig as though it is their last performance. “Just because the gig is not one that you may prefer, does not mean that you should not play at a 100 percent level.” Mike also stays marketable due to his versatility. Michael Ryan, ULV adjunct professor of music and leader of a musical group that plays in a nuevo flamenco genre, attests to Mike’s versatility. “He has studied our music and gives the right tempos and rhythms that allows us to play our best. When the music gets passionate, he is right there driving the intensity. His ability to give such support makes him a great percussionist and drummer.”

Mike also has his hands in producing and teaching. His book, “Demystifying Drumming” has sold many copies nationwide. He began writing it while on tour with Duff. The book is essentially a technical book, filled with essays about drumming and percussion. “It is difficult to do just one thing in this industry, especially if you want to be successful,” he says.

Although Los Angeles is a tough market filled with those who will take advantage of the young and inexperienced, there are ways to achieve industry success. Having a good business sense will get you far in Los Angeles, especially if one is good at developing positive relationships and has talent. “Successful musicians in this industry are good business people,” he says. Humility is also a vital factor. No one wants a show boat musician who is full of himself. “Every musician needs to have a lot of humility in whatever they do,” says Mike. His appearances on television shows such as “The Tonight Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show” have given much exposure to his talent and his personality. Fame, he says, is something that is flattering but at the same time weird. “It’s a bit creepy when I show up to different places and people know a ton of information about me.”

Mike’s versatility in the music industry has now led him to producing and composing music for artists and live bands. With the help of friend and fellow musician Dave Wood, he has opened up a studio called Music Evolution in Sherman Oaks. There, they provide state-of-the-art services that range from guitar and drum playing to piano and songwriting. Currently, Mike is not taking on as many gigs as he used to, allowing him to focus more of his energy toward his studio and his position as a clinician.

Mike Bennett generates his own positive high energy through his passion and his versatile style. He believes not only in himself but his craft too. And while the bright lights, screaming fans and rocking crowds call out his name, he answers with a humble, grounded belief system that came from within him, not outside.

Music Evolution co-owners Mike Bennett and Dave Wood (right) met each other while performing with Hilary Duff. The two spent several years building their own production studio in Wood’s home in Sherman Oaks. Dave has performed with Lil Wayne, Gladys Knight and Jesse McCartney, among other artists. He has also written a book titled, “The Secret Guitar Method." / photo by Christopher Guzman

The local music scene is far from dead

Left to right Lining up their talents, Salinger’s Tony Perez, Herbert Ha, Taylor Harb and Javier Verni look toward making it in the music business. Formed around guitarists Ha and Verni, Salinger has grown to incorporate different instruments and styles into its sound. / photo by Christopher Guzman

by Michael Escañuelasphotography by Christopher Guzman

Outside of a Starbucks coffee in Chino Hills, Herbert Ha and Tony Perez arrive separately from their self made practice studio in El Monte. “Watch out, I’m still sweaty from practice,” Herbert warns as he exits his car. The band is working hard to prepare for a handful of upcoming concerts and striving to make their live show something worth catching. While none of them has given up full-time day jobs, they feel their band is on the edge of music business discovery. “What we rely on most is our live show. We don’t have a lot of material to push out,” Herbert explains. Even so, for Salinger, an indie rock five-piece based out of Chino Hills, music is not just a hobby, but a practical part of life. Compiled of Herbert Ha, on lead vocals and guitar, Javier Verni, on guitar, Tony Perez, on drums, and Taylor Harb, on cello, this group of musicians, who either go to school full time or hold full-time jobs, makes up the band Salinger. Although their name may not be known beyond their home town, this band is working its way to exposure in many new and effective ways.

Utilizing self-made studios, booking their own tours in states like Washington and Oregon, and even recording and producing their own demos, Salinger is just a local example of how the music scene has developed in the past decade into its own self run entity. “Do it yourself” (DIY) has become the motto of many artists in not only California but also throughout the entire United States music scene. Age old attention getting methods like dependence on labels, managers and booking agents have quickly grown outdated and been replaced by outlets that let the bands themselves take control of their work and reel in the benefits. The measure of success for a band has greatly changed; the rock star concept is quickly becoming a taboo. For bands like Salinger, this change presents the opportunity to create and show their music to more people than even thought possible before the new millennium.

This new movement is taking control of the music business but not only are bands taking control of their musical careers; so too are producers, engineers and venue owners. With new digital methods of distributing music, playing concerts and recording, the business of music is finally being controlled by the musicians.

Getting the album out

The music scene that resides within the La Verne area is just like any other; it is always changing and growing. For Salinger, the road to becoming a band started with a trip to Oakland to record a five song demo. The band began in 2008 as a singer/song writer project created by band front man Herbert Ha. After booking some time in a friend’s Oakland studio, Herbert and band mate Javier Verni went north to record their first demo, “Lovers,” which would become the band’s demo. Followers of Salinger say it holds a focus on heartfelt lyrics combined with a strong push toward musical diversity. “I was struggling with a lot things at that time; that is why It feels more organic, more heartfelt,” Herbert says about the band’s early material.

For many aspiring musicians, jamming with friends is just the first step in starting a band. But beyond creating music, a band must go through many steps to release material. For Salinger, this process began with recording the first EP “Lovers” and self releasing the album. “At the time, it was more of a personal goal, especially for me,” Herbert says. “I really wanted something solid to put out, something packaged, something pretty.” The band self released its album totally, making the packaging and selling the album at its shows. Currently, Salinger sells its music through the online retailer Band Camp, a free service that allows artists to sell their music online and not be forced to pay fees.

For local bands, to record an album takes many hours of work and much money. The process includes paying for studio time, recording the material and then mixing the music for release. Salinger gained its studio time with a friend in Oakland. For the “Lovers” album, the cost approached $700 for recording and an additional $400 to complete the packaging. When referring to future recordings, Herbert addresses the cost and time constraints with caution. “We have the songs to record a full length, but a band like us basically has to do everything on our own.” “Even though we work, it’s really hard to get the money into a studio and spend that much time.”

The days of driving to venues and distributing flyers, hoping people give them the time and day are gone. Websites like Facebook have paved the way for self promotion, along with sites Purevolume and BandCamp. Band members can build a buzz just by sitting in front of their computers. “Ten or 15 years ago, bands would network at venues, and bands would play with each other and get on compilations,” Tony says. Before file sharing, compilations were a necessity for a label and an opportunity for smaller bands to be heard. Now, promotion is focused online though social networks, allowing bands to directly interact with fans. Besides allowing bands to promote and sell their music online, sites like YouTube and Vimeo allow artists to create videos and post their music in a completely different art form. In turn, fans post videos promoting their favorite bands, allowing for viewership to millions. “We welcome anyone to come record things; they have our permission to put it online; we don’t care,” Herbert says.

Computers have changed the music industry, and it makes one wonder whether DIY ethics are ruining the authenticity of bands, artists or even the music. “Wanting to travel and doing what you love, like playing music—that’s one thing the digital world can’t take away,” Herbert says. For local bands, playing shows is essential. The passion that drives the music scene can be proven within a band’s live show. It is the only outlet that allows artists to fully display a band’s talent. Salinger took to the road and headed north to play a small tour. Cities within Oregon, Washington and California were chosen to share the band’s sound. But unlike tours for well known bands, smaller bands have a more difficult time getting crowds to show up for touring gigs. Some of the band’s shows either were cancelled at the last minute or had few people in the audience. “We’re a little band from a city no one knows, but it was our first tour, so we took what we got from it,” says Herbert. “You have to go into it almost expecting to play for no one.” But like with any business, one cannot pave the way to the top without treading the bottom. Not all bands can endure the challenges of self booking tours, or even managing a band through self-made ethics, but bands like Salinger are driven by the passion of their music.

Producers and studios

Pablo Hernandez stands outside his humble Ontario home located on a short cul-de-sac that backs up to the 10 freeway. The freeway wall barely blocks the overpowering highway noise that one can not only hear but feel. Considering the noise pollution, it would be unexpected to find his garage houses the control center of a quality home self made studio. Pablo is a self taught student in the art of producing and engineering music. His studio, which houses a large 36 channel mixing board, an abundance of microphones and a large spacious area, is a work in progress that records his band “Resa’s” material, along with several other projects. “I don’t have any training,” Pablo says. “I started backwards, and I learned on my own with the help of friends.” Pablo’s work began after being laid off from his job as fire alarm technician. After learning that a friend had a large mixing board from the ‘80s collecting dust, the musician quickly jumped at the opportunity to set up the equipment in his garage. With time, Pablo added more recording tools like microphones, cables to extend to the front house and interfaces to create a modest home self made studio. “I didn’t really know anything. We just messed around learning just basic things,” Pablo says.

Before building his studio, Pablo created and wrote music with different bands. Using internet tools to obtain programs to record, Pablo quickly learned to manipulate the technical side of music. “I always have been a nerd for the behind the scenes stuff,” he says. He established a connection between the garage, which housed the mixing board and computers, and the main house, where bands played their instruments. Then, Pablo built his excellent resume as a producer and an engineer. “I don’t want to be an engineer, but at the same time I was learning from him all the technical stuff,” Pablo says. “I had to, to be able to communicate what we wanted to do.” Pablo’s self taught skills have given him an advantage of recording his bands material along with helping out friends with recording.

The path to excellence came from recording his own band, hours of reading and the expert advice of friends. Pablo was then able to make a drastic decision in his musical career and develop musical field versatility. In a music scene that demands so much from artists, it helps to have the advantage of recording knowledge to guide your band. “We can do other skills other than playing music,” Pablo says. “We have what it takes to communicate who we are.”

Unlike how Salinger’s members support their music careers through full-time jobs, Pablo was inspired by the loss of his fire technician job. “My job was just a job,” Pablo says. With the job loss, Pablo followed his music passion, which took a backseat to a full-time job. He decided to make it his career. “I changed my mind set to I can get by if I apply myself.” With the job field quickly become a ghost town, making rash decisions to pursue music has become a growing norm among artists. The do it yourself movement allows for artists to take the music scene into their own hands. For producers and engineers, there are many paths to take, including school—or like Pablo—building your own studio and learning through hands on experience. “There are so many options out there,” Pablo says. “It’s much easier to become an engineer nowadays.”

Venues open the door

For many bands, the art of live performing is their only exposure method and a personal connection with their fan base. Within the Inland Empire there are only a handful of performance venues compared to large cities like Los Angeles. One local venue not only embraces the local scene but also was built on the DIY ethics that push so many artists. After quitting his job as a teacher, Donavan and Rachel Foy opened in August 2006 their “The Wire Music and Arts Venues” in the heart of downtown Upland. “We wanted it to be something that we were really into, and we were both really into music,” says Donavan. “There wasn’t a legitimate venue for bands to play around here.” But just like any local business, The Wire was built with a hands-on mentality that still holds true four years later. Along with a modest staff, The Wire is run, booked and even cleaned by the owners. “I do everything from booking to cleaning toilets,” Donavan laughs. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s what we wanted to be.” Since its opening, The Wire has been a place made for the primary reason of music. “A big decision we made was it being all ages and not serving alcohol,” Donavan says. “We want it to be a place where people come to see music.” Similar venues like Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Glass House in Pomona also have an all ages policy and do not serve alcohol.

For many business owners, the art of staying open comes from making right business decisions and learning from your mistakes. For Donavan and Rachel, owning a venue proved to be a unique business venture that came without an instruction book. “Since we first opened, we are always learning and figuring out what works and doesn’t work,” explains Donavan. “There’s isn’t anyone in our line of work that I know that I can get advice from.” The two base their business ethics and judgments on their experience playing in and working with local bands. These ethics include staying true to the focus of music and always being hands-on. These goals are achieved through do it yourself methods like booking and maintaining the venue. “All I ever did was go to shows, and now it’s my job,” says Donavan.

As long as the local scene of music thrives, there will always be a need for a performance place for the arts. The Wire is one of several local places that serves the do it yourself music scene and keeps artists from going broke. The Wire’s reputation is an important attribute to their business ethics. “That’s how it works with anything that is not corporate,” says Donavan. “How else are people going to find out about it? It’s word of mouth; it’s what you hope for.”

When it comes to do it yourself ethics for bands, producers and venue ownership, word of mouth helps keep the scene alive. Artists continue to play and display their art just to get people talking. Engineers and producers record and work as much as possible, even sometimes for free just to get their names out there. Venues treat bands and concert goers with respect with hopes that more artists book with them. The art of do it yourself is linked through several different ethical methods. With the power of digital technology, if one has the passion to drive your art forward, their always seems to be a way. “That’s the bottom line of when you do things yourself,” says Donavan.

Salinger’s lead singer Herbert Ha, drummer Tony Perez and cellist Taylor Harb share their passion for music as the indie band takes over the heart of Pomona’s Main Street Art Walk at PB&J Nov. 13. Salinger frequently performs at several intimate venues in the Pomona Arts Colony and expects to record new material soon, under the direction of producer Pablo Hernandez. / photo by Christopher Guzman

Self-taught engineer-producer Pablo Hernandez records DIY bands from his personal studio in Ontario. The old 36 channel mixing board sitting in Hernandez’s garage symbolizes the work that he puts into creating his own at-home studio. With a zest for production symbolized by the toys and trinkets that surround his studio, Hernandez has incorporated self-taught tools and techniques to create a unique recording style that is credited with launching local bands to their next musical level. / photo by Christopher Guzman

Exploring the b-side of the vinyl resurgence.

by Michael Escañuelas
photography by Michael D. Martinez

Things are very wrong in the music industry. Walking into Rhino Records in Claremont, one can see customers buying CDs, books and magazines of their favorite bands, but the real interest lies in the back of the store, which houses two long rows of newly pressed vinyl records. These are not the vinyl records one would find in his parents’ garage, but actually recently pressed and repressed vinyl from both new artists and old.

With album sales going down and most of the big box stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart liquidating their music sections, it is hard to believe that a store like Rhino Records could still exist. But with the recent numbers supplied by SoundScan, small indie shops like Rhino Records are actually rising in sales. With the age of iTunes in full swing, it is hard to pin point where the music industry is really going. This fear of unpredictable trends could explain the rise in vinyl sales during the past couple years.

In the last six months, vinyl sales have spiked more than 50 percent according to Nielsen SoundScan. Those very records that once plagued your parents’ garage are now the hot new media, overtaking the music industry and, in some cases, actually saving record stores from extinction. Many artists, both unsigned and signed, are now releasing their albums on vinyl along with digital downloads. In some cases, artists like Weatherbox on Doghouse records actually released just a vinyl version of its most recent album, “The Cosmic Drama,” and chose to ignore a CD release. Philadelphia natives Balance and Composure, on the No Sleep Records label, released their label debut on vinyl. “I don’t think of it as resurgence for vinyl,” says Pete Lyman, a mastering engineer at Infrasonic studios in Los Angeles. “Vinyl is the first real music delivery to the consumers so it’s not like this new technology.” This resurgence may be something new in mainstream media, but, for many collectors and music enthusiasts, the idea of vinyl never left the garage.

The art of collecting

“It’s a resurgence but, for me, not really,” says Jose Calixto, sitting in the comfort of a Starbucks chair in La Verne. “It’s more accessible now; you can go to Best Buy, and there is vinyl. Before, you had to hit up punk rock distributions to get vinyl.” A local musician and graphic designer who collects vinyl, Jose plays in the local band 12 o’ Clock in English. He uses the advantage of traveling with his band to visit record stores and enhance his vinyl collection.

Vinyl collecting is not only something that benefits the artists who distribute them, but also the music fan who longs for something physical. In an age where the digital single has overtaken the album, it is growing harder and harder for music collectors to actually collect tangible music. “It’s good for collectors like me,” says Raymond Markel, a local musician and Cal Poly, Pomona student. “Vinyl is bigger, more difficult to find and valuable. It’s the perfect way to show just how much you like a band.”

Throughout Web sites like vinylcollective.com, limitedpressing.com and eBay, vinyl collectors bid to obtain some of the rarest vinyl in the music scene today. These items include records from classic artists like the Beatles and Jethro Tull, to contemporary artists like Brand New, New Found Glory and Against Me! Collectors are at the heart of the art of collecting vinyl. The recent resurgence of vinyl comes from the fact that so many music enthusiasts have gone that extra mile to obtain it.

From behind the register

In the spirit of supporting locally owned independent stores, 2007 saw the creation of Record Store Day. Inspired by comic book stores that hold their own yearly event, the day (held the third week of April) recognizes the independently owned record store. Many artists and labels release limited edition vinyl albums exclusively to participating record stores. The event also features artists playing in stores to promote the event. In Claremont, Rhino Records dressed its store with balloons, filled its racks with limited edition vinyl and invited Yo La Tengo to play the store in honor of the special day. The result: a long line of customers opened the shop and a large crowd filled the store during the performance.

“It used to be that another store was your competition; that’s no longer the general viewing,” says Dennis Callaci, general manager of Rhino Records for the last 20 years. Opened in 1976 and independently owned since 1981, Rhino Records has supplied vinyl records to consumers long enough to see the trend of vinyl sales go up and down. “The format was pretty specific when it started to have a resurgence with hip hop and electronic,” says Dennis. “That’s when we first started to sell a lot more vinyl.”

A major attribute to vinyl’s refusal to drown against the ocean of new technology was the support from local independent shops like Rhino Records. Although one could go into a Best Buy and find a small amount of vinyl, Rhino has one of the largest selections of both used and new records in the local area. Dennis’ career has shown him the many trends that have sprouted throughout the years, especially with the recent popularity of the once dated format. “We would try to sell a record for 99 cents 10 years ago,” Dennis laughs. “Now those records are in demand, so when one comes in used through the front door, it’s gone in a matter of a week.”

With the rise in popularity of digital singles and the availability of music in big box becoming more limited, record stores are becoming music consumers’ only option. “I don’t see the big box getting into LPs; I see them getting out of music, which is what they’ve been doing the last few years,” says Dennis. Recently, many stores have felt the failure of the compact disc. Rhino Records’ system of buying and selling used CD and vinyl has allowed the store to succeed from both the failure of CDs and the resurgence of vinyl. For the store, buying and supplying vinyl is a different process than just ordering CDs. “The vinyl is not returnable, so you really have to know your customer,” says Dennis, regarding vinyl’s distribution. To gather vinyl to place on store shelves, Dennis must find a distributer of the product and specifically order it. This results in a mixture of odd pricing issues, and the hope that someone will buy the records in order to make money. “With LPs, it’s all over the map; they don’t quite get it still. They’ll do a pressing or a reissue and make it $34.99; you’re pricing people out of that market.”

Independent labels keep vinyl alive

Distributing vinyl has always been something for which small independent labels are known. Now, with the recent resurgence of vinyl, large labels like Universal and Sony are releasing major acts on vinyl. In Best Buy, one can find the new Guns and Roses album for sale. Web stores like Amazon.com carry many vinyl titles. The concept of vinyl has caught on, and many labels and distributors are beginning to see the benefit of pressing vinyl album versions or even releasing only a vinyl version. And while many big labels are beginning to produce vinyl, when looking at their track record of keeping the music industry healthy, it is hard to believe that they will do what is right, even with the format’s recent success. “The record industry is filled with a lot of morons who don’t know what they’re doing, and they’ve done things so poorly over the last 20 years that I’ve been here,” Dennis jokes.

For the past year, no one group can be more involved in the resurgence of vinyl than the indie label. Small sister labels to the majors like Doghouse Records, Vagrant Records and Merge Records have promoted the release of vinyl records of their bands. For most major labels, the concept of doing vinyl records could prove to be too costly or unnecessary.

For label owner Chris Hansen, founder of No Sleep Records, vinyl is something he wanted to do from the very beginning. Sitting on a small concrete wall outside Pomona’s Glass House, wearing a gray sweater adorned with “No Sleep Records,” Chris explains his label’s story. It is based in Huntington Beach and includes acts like The Wonder Years, Balance and Composure and La Dispute. “I always wanted to do a label since high school. When I first started, I definitely wanted to do a lot of vinyl.”

Since starting his label in 2006, No Sleep Records has released several albums on vinyl. One of No Sleep’s first vinyl releases was an EP by The Wonder Years titled, “Won’t Be Pathetic Forever.” The release premiered on three different colors: orange, brown and purple. A plain black second pressing followed. “Vinyl has that everlasting appeal to it. It has a raw sound; the artwork is so much bigger,” Hansen says. The experience of pressing vinyl for the first time was a learning experience for him, to say the least. The release was plagued with misprint issues and long turnaround times. “The turnaround is six to eight weeks, and you want to go with the eight weeks just to be safe,” Hansen says. “I knew it was going to take a while, but I didn’t know it would take as long as it did.”

The resurgence of vinyl is just another example that shows the next generation rejecting the way music is sold. The idea of a compact disc is slowly becoming an outdated technology. For years, CDs were the dominate force. Now, with iTunes, Amazon and illegal downloading, consumers are looking for something more tangible and, most importantly, collectable when shopping for music. “The younger kids, they still don’t know what vinyl is yet,” Hansen says about the consumers of vinyl. “They buy vinyl because it looks cool; most people who buy vinyl these days don’t have a vinyl player.” Like many labels now are noticing, there is something to vinyl that brings out the music fan. Recently released vinyl is more collectable and higher in value. “It takes a lot longer to make money off vinyl,” Hansen says. “Vinyl is something you do because you love what you’re doing; you love music.”

Bands supporting the movement

Music has evolved greatly during the past couple years. For bands, the method of distributing music has gone forward and backward. Sitting on a step outside a venue anxiously waiting to play, Kenny Vasoli, former lead singer of the pop-punk band The Starting Line and current front man to the band Person L, discusses his band’s efforts to retreat back to the classic methods of distributing music. “I really like listening to older records because that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Vasoli says, regarding the band’s most recent release, “The Positives.” Many bands have been following the direction of Person L and releasing vinyl pressings of their music. “It’s always fun to work on projects whose primary destination is vinyl, because we concentrate on making it sound good, rather than making it sound loud,” says Pete Lyman, a 10-year mastering engineer and 16-year band recording artist. The process of distributing band music in the digital age far exceeds the options that bands had when vinyl was first introduced. Now, for a band to distribute its album through vinyl is a means for fans to gain a new musical experience. “When you’re listening to a record, you’re really dedicating time to listen to it, so I think people are starting to discover that experience,” Lyman says.

Although music lovers have a new listening experience, for bands, the success of selling vinyl can contribute to the bands’ style or genre. “For more DIY style bands, vinyl seems to do better. They have a core fan base that knows more about music or appreciates it more,” says Hansen. Music distribution may be evolving, but with the movement of vinyl sales rising, the art behind music is still important to music consumers.

From the start of his No Sleep Records label in 2006, Chris Hansen was an advocate for distributing vinyl records of his bands. “People buy vinyl because it looks cool; most people who buy vinyl these days don’t have a vinyl player,” he says. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

General manager of Rhino Records in Claremont for more than 20 years, Dennis Callaci has seen the rise and fall of musical trends. His store holds analog treasures while also meeting the demands of the digital music enthusiast. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

The downtown Pomona venue has quickly become a local rock ‘n’ roll institution.

Since opening in 1996, the Glass House has played host to a wide range of chart-topping bands, including No Doubt, White Stripes and Rage Against the Machine. The Class House is located at 200 West Second St. in the Pomona Arts Colony. / photo by Rhiannon Mim

by Megan Sebestyen
photography by Rhiannon Mim

On the back wall of the small shop, CDs crowd the narrow shelf, each competing for attention. Each shiny album cover displays a scrawled signature where a member of the band took the time to personalize his/her album. Picking a single CD is difficult, as each brightly colored cover tempts the viewer with promises of a story behind the signature. Supernatural, a rapper from New York, has several signed CDs on display. The band members of The Faint make it a point to stop in every time they pass through town.

What’s odd about these visits by band members, though, is that they are not visiting a record store, but rather a used bookstore in Pomona located across the street from a concert venue where they perform. Supernatural buys poetry here while members of The Faint buy books to read during their long days on the road.

Across the street lies the source of the musical influence: the Glass House Concert Hall. The venue brings bands, bands bring crowds, and the crowds bring business to downtown Pomona.

“The Arts Colony in Pomona has become co-dependant. The ebb and flow of the businesses here rely heavily on what is happening across the street at the Glass House,” JoAnn Kaiser, co-owner of Magic Door IV Used Books, says. “We get band people in here all the time. And when the band comes in, so do the fans.”

Outside the Glass House, a long line of concertgoers stretches down the sidewalk, with fans eagerly clutching their tickets for the night’s show. Each time the main doors open, the crowd crushes forward, anxious to immerse themselves in the sounds within. Caught in their excitement, the crowd moves forward as one, not noticing that they share no commonalities other than their taste in music.

Two young girls giggle behind their hands, torn between trying to either ignore or earn the attention of the two older men with lip piercings and death-metal t-shirts who stand beside them. The owners of Magic Door IV Used Books shut down their store across the street from the Glass House and scuttle to the line for their sixth show this month. But when the doors finally open, and the crowd flows forward, they all seem the same; their concert wristbands have brought them together to this one place.

At this location on Pomona’s Second Street sits the concert hall that has earned a reputation as one of the best small venues for all types of music lovers. The variety of concerts performed here and the big-name bands draw music lovers from all over the Inland Empire and Los Angeles area. “It’s a very friendly venue,” Kaiser says. “A lot of performers from Los Angeles come here because they find the audience friendly.”

University of La Verne Events Scheduling Manager Doug Waite first visited the Glass House eight years ago to see Stereolab. “[The Glass House is] nicer than some. It’s certainly not a fancy venue. But for the right group, like the alternative groups, it’s the right venue. It gives people in the Inland Empire a place to go.”

The Glass House is especially popular because it hosts great bands for an all-ages audience. The Glass House has hosted bands such as the Pixies, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rage Against the Machine and Say Anything.

“When a band I really love comes through, I’d rather see them there,” says Christina Zamora, manager of the Glass House Record Store. “The shows there are just a little more intimate and smaller.”

Even from the beginning, the Glass House handpicked all the bands that came through. “I’ve seen a lot of great bands who were new to the scene given a chance to play there,” former Glass House employee Joe Black says. Black is currently an art and entertainment director for booking agency 51 Buckingham.

Talent booking agent Jon Halperin says that he brought in bands like Tokyo Police Club, Plain White Tees, White Stripes and Of Montreal in the years before they were famous. “We book what the public wants. I need to book what bands kids and young adults are interested in seeing. I have to think like I am 20 years younger.”

Halperin said the majority of the audience is aged 15 to 25, though the bands vary greatly in musical genres. In order to cater to the interests of their audience, the Glass House has a MySpace page where users can see the show schedule, message other concertgoers, and even utilize links to purchase tickets. Shows usually occur about five nights a week, and Halperin tries to vary the bands who play together as much as possible. The doors open at 7 p.m., and the place fills to capacity nearly every night by 10 p.m., closer to the time when the headlining band performs.

Zamora said that the Glass House is comparable to the Troubadour and the Music Box in Los Angeles. All these venues are produced by GoldenVoice, which also sponsors events such as the annual Coachella Music Festival in Palm Springs.

This year, the Coachella Music Festival, held from April 17 to 19, featured artists like Conor Oberst, the Killers and Paul McCartney. Because of the connection between the Glass House and Coachella, Oberst also performed April 15 at the Glass House.

When the Glass House opened in 1996, the first show featured No Doubt. Black remembers being at the first show. At the beginning of his career with the Glass House, Black wore many hats; including the security person, the band load-in and sound production guy, and filled many other jobs as needed.

Black says downtown Pomona wasn’t always a haven for artists.

“Before the Glass House, there were vacant buildings. There were literally tumbleweeds rolling down the street,” Black says. “I’ve lived in Pomona since 1988. It used to be a ghost town. There wasn’t even an arts colony.”

Since those years, though, Pomona has cultivated quite a charming art community. Every second Saturday, the Glass House Record Store has a free in-store performance and art show to coincide with Pomona’s Downtown Art Walk.

The streets around the Glass House provide opportunities for before and after shows. Across the street sits Magic Door IV and La Bomba Thrift Shop. Around the corner, the older crowd can enjoy drinks at dba256 Gallery Wine Bar; while the younger concertgoers munch chips and salsa or play pool at Jimenez Mexican Restaurant.

These business owners are often among the crowd of concertgoers. “We’re heavily influenced by the Glass House. We see four to six shows a month,” Kaiser says. “On show nights, we close when the headliner goes on, either because that’s when business stops, or so we can see the show.”

After shows, fans will often come to the Magic Door and ask to buy the books that the members of the band bought.

Employee Brian Ortiz checks the stock at the Glass House Record Store. The store hosts free musical performances on the second Saturday of every month during the Downtown Art Walk. / photo by Rhiannon Mim

Upland’s new venue draws local bands and big crowds.

Science Fiction Theatre, a rock band based out of Rancho Cucamonga, was formed in 2004 and performs regularly at The Wire. Matt Jimenez sings and plays lead guitar. / photo by Rhiannon Mim

by Victoria Allende
photography by Rhiannon Mim

The Wire Music and Art Venue in Upland is a dream-come-true for owners Donavan and Rachel Foy. The Wire is a small, well-kept venue that is almost hidden among the row of shops on Second Street, in downtown Upland. When the red double doors are closed, it is unclear what is on the other side. But once the overhead spotlights turn on and shine above the front entrance, the venue comes to life. Behind those secretive double doors, beautiful wood floors pave the path from the entrance to the stage.

While The Wire appears small, it is the perfect setting for an intimate performance. As bands hit the stage, the lights dim and the music fills the all-ages venue. It is the perfect spot for new and local bands to showcase their talents to family and friends.

The Foys wanted to own a place where local bands could play. Rachel recalls driving around looking for the perfect place for their business.

“We found this place and it ended up being the right place for us,” Rachel says.

After a few obstacles, the Foys began construction on the venue in May 2006 and opened the doors to The Wire Music and Art Venue in August 2006. The couple, who work year-round, have yet to take a real vacation since the venue’s opening. “This is our main job, and more,” Rachel explains.

As the drummer for the band, The Ready Aim Fire, Donavan is the perfect person to own The Wire. His experience as a musician allows him to relate to the lifestyle and needs of local bands, which is their priority.

“We are here for the local bands,” Rachel says.

Their hard work is paying off.

Robert Thiel, a member of the band Screaming Remedy, has played at the venue twice.
“It’s very nice,” Thiel says. “It’s very comfortable playing here.”

He also enjoys working with the Foys.

“They’ve been great. They are very nice,” Thiel says.

The Wire is not only a venue for local bands to perform, but also a place to record music as well. Bands who are interested in recording a live performance of their show have the opportunity to receive an edited copy of their performance. The Foys have invested in the necessary editing equipment, such as ProTools LE7, to give bands the best recorded sound and editing quality. The Wire also specializes in providing bands with the opportunity to get in the recording studio. The Foys pride themselves on offering affordable pricing to bands who want to use their recording facilities, unlike many other pricey studios.

The Wire doesn’t stop at just having the best recording equipment and sound system, it also has an experienced staff. The Wire is a musician-friendly environment. All of the employees who work at The Wire are either in their own bands or are musicians.

Tristan Porter has been an employee at The Wire since November 2006. He has performed at the venue a few different times with various bands he has been a part of, including Harrison Ford and Deeragon Attack. He appreciates the atmosphere the Foys have created.
“They are doing a lot of great things for the younger crowd,” Porter says. “A lot of towns don’t have a good place for bands to play at. I grew up playing at coffee shops and warehouses. This blows all the other places I played at out of the water.”

Fellow artist Brian Hess enjoys performing at The Wire with his band Singlefaze.

“We’ve played there three different times,” Hess says. “Our experience has always been wonderful.” He is especially pleased with the venue’s great staff, particularly Donavan.
In addition to their great staff, Hess enjoys the sound quality that the venue provides during performances.

“The stage sound is incredible,” Hess explains. “They have a lot of good things going for them.” Hess and his band plan to return to perform at The Wire in the future.

What does the future hold for the Foys and The Wire? Donavan and his band have been working on their album. “They are going to be releasing their first full-length album in June,” Rachel says. “They recorded it all at the venue.”

Aside from the album release, the couple plan to keep working hard to achieve all their goals. With a devoted, hardworking pair like the Foys, anything seems possible.

photo by Rhiannon Mim

Every month The Wire features art on an empty brick wall in the entrance of the building. The owners decided that they could help local artists while filling up an empty wall. David Ward, an art student at Cal Poly Pomona, hung two of his paintings for the April gallery. / photo by Rhiannon Mim